Key-ring.



No; 629.2l3. Patented July I8, I899.

G. W. SHEETS.

KEY RING. (Appliqntiou filed Apr. 6, 1899.)

(Ho Hadel.)

' ya: wanna FPLTCTS cm, wow-um), WASHINGTON, a. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlGE.

GEORGE W. SHEETS, or BIXBY, sourn DAKOTA.

KEY-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,213, dated July 18,1899.

' Application filed April 6,1899. Serial No. 711,999. (to model.)

'rings designed, primarily, for holdingv keys and like articles andadapted to be carried in the pocket, although it is well adapted forother uses.

The objects of the invention are to providea simple device which whenclosed will present no corners or points to wear or catch and tear thegarments of the user and which while permitting the keys .to be placedthereon with the greatest facility will nevertheless be secure againstaccidental opening. Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view, of a key ring and guard constructed inaccordancewith my present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewillustrating the manner of opening and closing the ring. Fig. 3 is across-section through the lapping ends.-

Like letters of reference in the figures indicate the same parts.

The ring proper, A, is preferably formed of relatively stifi but stillsomewhat resilient metal, such as tempered steel, and its two ends arebeveled on their adjacent faces, as at (L, to form a relatively longlap-joint,

the two extremities, by reason of the bevelingof the meeting faces,lying close to the body' of the opposite end, and thus presenting nopoints or projections when the ring is closed. The overlapping ends arepreferably flattened somewhat transversely of the radii, or the body ofthe metal forming the ring at this point is of somewhat greaterthickness from side to side thanfron top'to bottom, and this formationmay extend throughout the overlapping portion, but preferably is foronly a short distance, as at D in Figs. 1 and. 2.

The set of the material forming the ring tends to hold the ends togetherwhen they are lapped in normal position; but when their positions arereversed with relation to each other the tendency is to hold the endsapart, as shown in dotted lines. In order now to open or close the ringat will, I provide a guard or pendant B, having in its end akeyhole-slot b. The round end of the slot is of such diameter as topermit the ring to slip through and rest loosely within it at any point,even when open, while the narrow end of the slot is of such width as tojust take in the lapped ends of the ring when slipped transverselythereon, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2Q

With the guard in the last-mentioned position, if it is given ahalf-turn, as indicated, the positions of the lapped ends will bereversed with relation to each other, thereby opening the ring for thereception of keys or other articles. When these have been placed upon orremoved, a reversal of the operation of opening the ring will bring theends back into their normal position, closing the ring.

In the preferred form the edge of the gnard= plate is scalloped; but itis obvious that it may be given any attractive, ornamental, or fancifulshape, as desired, and also in this preferred form the body of the metalforming the ring, except at the lapped portion, as before stated, is ofsuch cross-sectional area as will prevent the entry of it into thenarrow portion of the keyhole-slot. Thus the guard is held out ofoperative relation except at the portion D, where it will move theoverlapped ends, The ring and guard may be made of any preferred metal,dependent upon the value and style .of ring desired to be pro duced. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A key-ringhaving overlapping ends bevthe transverse diameter of theoverlappedends being greater than the vertical diameter, incombination-with a guard-plate havin g a keyhole-slot the narrow portionof which fits said meeting or overlapping ends on their shortestdiameter and is narrower than their greatest diameter, substan tially asdescribed.

2. A key-ring having overlapping end s beveled on their meeting faces topresent a smooth contour on the outside, the set of the mate- 'rialtending to hold said beveled faces together when in contact and toseparate the ends when their positions are reversed, the

transverse diameter of the overlapped ends being greater than the radialdiameter and the radial diameter less than the diameter of the body ofthe metal forming the ring, in

v combination with a guard-plate having a key

